Apple is rightly getting skewered for pushing back its much-hyped Apple Intelligence features. Since then, these features have been touted as the first big changes coming with the anticipated iPhone 16 lineup. The tech giant has just made it a bit more exciting. They’ll bring us home improved abilities, including a more customized Siri that takes action through applications and addresses your inquiries utilizing your on-gadget information. All these features, though, weren’t ready when the phone launched in September, resulting in claims of false advertising.
Couple that with the wild enthusiasm the company generated through its spectacular pre-release marketing campaigns. This contributed to building significant consumer expectations that these features would be included at launch. Apple has accurately thrown cold water on the timeline, recently saying it’ll be a few years before they can offer these capabilities. The company shared with Daring Fireball that it plans to release these features next year. This is a very optimistic change from previous speculation that suggested a roll out as late as 2026 or 2027.
“It’s going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year,” Apple stated.
Apple’s Response and Legal Concerns
After facing major backlash, Apple placed a notice on the marketing site for Apple Maps announcing the delay. The company has appointed a new team lead for Apple Intelligence, indicating its commitment to eventually providing the promised capabilities. Critics contend that the delay has already poisoned consumer trust.
The plaintiffs in a recent lawsuit claim that Apple “deceived millions of consumers into purchasing new phones they did not need based on features that do not exist, in violation of multiple false advertising and consumer protection laws.”
Apple has repeatedly known the technical and logistical hurdles of delivering the features they promised yet still went ahead and marketed these capabilities. This has sparked concerns about the tech company’s transparency and accountability. The continued delay has prompted important conversations related to the consumer protections needed when companies make unrealistic claims and set expectations they cannot meet.
What The Author Thinks
Apple’s marketing of features they knew weren’t ready has undermined consumer trust. While it’s understandable that developing new technology can be complex, misleading customers with promises that can’t be kept damages the company’s reputation. It’s crucial that tech companies hold themselves accountable and practice transparency to protect consumer rights and expectations.
